Browse publications by year: 2023

Evaluation of toxicity profile of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) decoction in rats

Hassan Z, Singh D, Suhaimi FW, Chear NJ, Harun N, See CP, et al.

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2023 Sep;143:105466.
PMID: 37536550 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2023.105466

Mitragyna speciosa Korth also known as kratom, is an herbal drug preparation for its therapeutic properties and opioid-replacement therapy. Kratom is consumed in a brewed decoction form in Malaysia and to date, no studies have characterized its chemical and toxicity profile. Thus, this study aims to evaluate kratom decoction's safety and toxicity profile after 28 days of treatment. Mitragynine content was quantified in kratom decoction and used as a marker to determine the concentration. Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were orally treated with vehicle or kratom decoction (10, 50 or 150 mg/kg) and two satellite groups were treated with vehicle and kratom decoction (150 mg/kg). Blood and organs were collected for hematology, biochemical and histopathology analysis at the end of treatment. No mortality was found after 28 days of treatment and no significant changes in body weight and hematology profile, except for low platelet count. High amounts of uric acid, AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase were found in the biochemical analysis. Histological investigation of the heart and lungs detected no alterations except for the kidney, liver and brain tissues. In conclusion, repeated administration of kratom decoction provided some evidence of toxicity in the kidney and liver with no occurrence of mortality.

MeSH terms: Animals; Female; Liver; Male; Plant Extracts/toxicity; Plants, Medicinal*; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rats
Fulltext Further evidence for sensitivity to energy density and a two-component model of meal size: Analysis of meal calorie intakes in Argentina and Malaysia

Flynn AN, Rogers PJ, Brunstrom JM

Physiol Behav, 2023 Oct 15;270:114314.
PMID: 37536621 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114314

Previously, we demonstrated a non-linear association between meal caloric intake and meal energy density (ED, kcal/g) in data from a controlled trial in the US and from free-living participants in the UK [1]. In both datasets, meal caloric intake increased with ED in lower energy-dense meals (below ∼1.75 kcal/g) and decreased in higher energy-dense meals (above ∼1.75 kcal/g). In the current study, we sought to explore whether this pattern extends to data from free-living participants in Argentina (N = 2738 meals) and Malaysia (N = 4658 meals). Again, a significant breakpoint was found in both the Argentinean (2.04 kcal/g (SE = 0.06)) and Malaysian (2.17 kcal/g (SE = 0.06)) datasets with mean centered meal caloric intake increasing with ED below the breakpoint and decreasing above the breakpoint. These results lend further support for our two-component theoretical model of meal size (g) in which a volume signal is dominant in lower energy-dense meals and a calorie-content signal is dominant in higher energy-dense meals. Together, our research adds to evidence supporting human sensitivity to calories and exposes a complexity in the correspondence between meal energy content and meal size in everyday (non-manipulated) meals. Further research is needed to provide causal evidence for this sensitivity and whether individual variation impacts meal size and energy balance.

MeSH terms: Argentina; Energy Intake*; Humans; Malaysia; Meals*
Fulltext Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Acinetobacter colistiniresistens isolated from the feces of a healthy member of the community

Muzahid NH, Md Zoqratt MZH, Ten KE, Hussain MH, Su TT, Ayub Q, et al.

Sci Rep, 2023 Aug 03;13(1):12596.
PMID: 37537198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39642-0

Acinetobacter species are widely known opportunistic pathogens causing severe community and healthcare-associated infections. One such emerging pathogen, Acinetobacter colistiniresistens, is known to exhibit intrinsic resistance to colistin. We investigated the molecular characteristics of A. colistiniresistens strain C-214, isolated from the fecal sample of a healthy community member, as part of a cohort study being conducted in Segamat, Malaysia. Comparison of the whole genome sequence of C-214 with other A. colistiniresistens sequences retrieved from the NCBI database showed 95% sequence identity or more with many of the genome sequences representing that species. Use of the Galleria mellonella killing assay showed that C-214 was pathogenic in this model infection system. The strain C-214 had a colistin and polymyxin B MIC of 32 and 16 mg/L, respectively. Besides, it was resistant to cefotaxime, amikacin, and tetracycline and showed moderate biofilm-producing ability. Different genes associated with virulence or resistance to major classes of antibiotics were detected. We observed mutations in lpxA/C/D in C-214 and other A. colistiniresistens strains as probable causes of colistin resistance, but the biological effects of these mutations require further investigation. This study provides genomic insights into A. colistiniresistens, a potentially pathogenic bacterium isolated from a community member and notes the public health threat it may pose.

MeSH terms: Acinetobacter*; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Colistin/pharmacology; Feces/microbiology; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Cohort Studies; Genomics; Acinetobacter baumannii*
Fulltext Machine learning-based technique for gain and resonance prediction of mid band 5G Yagi antenna

Haque MA, Rahman MA, Al-Bawri SS, Yusoff Z, Sharker AH, Abdulkawi WM, et al.

Sci Rep, 2023 Aug 03;13(1):12590.
PMID: 37537201 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39730-1

In this study, we present our findings from investigating the use of a machine learning (ML) technique to improve the performance of Quasi-Yagi-Uda antennas operating in the n78 band for 5G applications. This research study investigates several techniques, such as simulation, measurement, and an RLC equivalent circuit model, to evaluate the performance of an antenna. In this investigation, the CST modelling tools are used to develop a high-gain, low-return-loss Yagi-Uda antenna for the 5G communication system. When considering the antenna's operating frequency, its dimensions are [Formula: see text]. The antenna has an operating frequency of 3.5 GHz, a return loss of [Formula: see text] dB, a bandwidth of 520 MHz, a maximum gain of 6.57 dB, and an efficiency of almost 97%. The impedance analysis tools in CST Studio's simulation and circuit design tools in Agilent ADS software are used to derive the antenna's equivalent circuit (RLC). We use supervised regression ML method to create an accurate prediction of the frequency and gain of the antenna. Machine learning models can be evaluated using a variety of measures, including variance score, R square, mean square error, mean absolute error, root mean square error, and mean squared logarithmic error. Among the nine ML models, the prediction result of Linear Regression is superior to other ML models for resonant frequency prediction, and Gaussian Process Regression shows an extraordinary performance for gain prediction. R-square and var score represents the accuracy of the prediction, which is close to 99% for both frequency and gain prediction. Considering these factors, the antenna can be deemed an excellent choice for the n78 band of a 5G communication system.
Fulltext PFP-HOG: Pyramid and Fixed-Size Patch-Based HOG Technique for Automated Brain Abnormality Classification with MRI

Kaplan E, Chan WY, Altinsoy HB, Baygin M, Barua PD, Chakraborty S, et al.

J Digit Imaging, 2023 Dec;36(6):2441-2460.
PMID: 37537514 DOI: 10.1007/s10278-023-00889-8

Detecting neurological abnormalities such as brain tumors and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images is an important research topic in the literature. Numerous machine learning models have been used to detect brain abnormalities accurately. This study addresses the problem of detecting neurological abnormalities in MRI. The motivation behind this problem lies in the need for accurate and efficient methods to assist neurologists in the diagnosis of these disorders. In addition, many deep learning techniques have been applied to MRI to develop accurate brain abnormality detection models, but these networks have high time complexity. Hence, a novel hand-modeled feature-based learning network is presented to reduce the time complexity and obtain high classification performance. The model proposed in this work uses a new feature generation architecture named pyramid and fixed-size patch (PFP). The main aim of the proposed PFP structure is to attain high classification performance using essential feature extractors with both multilevel and local features. Furthermore, the PFP feature extractor generates low- and high-level features using a handcrafted extractor. To obtain the high discriminative feature extraction ability of the PFP, we have used histogram-oriented gradients (HOG); hence, it is named PFP-HOG. Furthermore, the iterative Chi2 (IChi2) is utilized to choose the clinically significant features. Finally, the k-nearest neighbors (kNN) with tenfold cross-validation is used for automated classification. Four MRI neurological databases (AD dataset, brain tumor dataset 1, brain tumor dataset 2, and merged dataset) have been utilized to develop our model. PFP-HOG and IChi2-based models attained 100%, 94.98%, 98.19%, and 97.80% using the AD dataset, brain tumor dataset1, brain tumor dataset 2, and merged brain MRI dataset, respectively. These findings not only provide an accurate and robust classification of various neurological disorders using MRI but also hold the potential to assist neurologists in validating manual MRI brain abnormality screening.

MeSH terms: Machine Learning; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods; Neuroimaging
Fulltext Implementing an Evidence-Based COPD Hospital Discharge Protocol: A Narrative Review and Expert Recommendations

Miravitlles M, Bhutani M, Hurst JR, Franssen FME, van Boven JFM, Khoo EM, et al.

Adv Ther, 2023 Oct;40(10):4236-4263.
PMID: 37537515 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-023-02609-8

Discharge bundles, comprising evidence-based practices to be implemented prior to discharge, aim to optimise patient outcomes. They have been recommended to address high readmission rates in patients who have been hospitalised for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hospital readmission is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation, contributing substantially to the economic burden of COPD. Previous studies suggest that COPD discharge bundles may result in fewer hospital readmissions, lower risk of mortality and improvement of patient quality of life. However, evidence for their effectiveness is inconsistent, likely owing to variable content and implementation of these bundles. To ensure consistent provision of high-quality care for patients hospitalised with an exacerbation of COPD and reduce readmission rates following discharge, we propose a comprehensive discharge protocol, and provide evidence highlighting the importance of each element of the protocol. We then review care bundles used in COPD and other disease areas to understand how they affect patient outcomes, the barriers to implementing these bundles and what strategies have been used in other disease areas to overcome these barriers. We identified four evidence-based care bundle items for review prior to a patient's discharge from hospital, including (1) smoking cessation and assessment of environmental exposures, (2) treatment optimisation, (3) pulmonary rehabilitation, and (4) continuity of care. Resource constraints, lack of staff engagement and knowledge, and complexity of the COPD population were some of the key barriers inhibiting effective bundle implementation. These barriers can be addressed by applying learnings on successful bundle implementation from other disease areas, such as healthcare practitioner education and audit and feedback. By utilising the relevant implementation strategies, discharge bundles can be more (cost-)effectively delivered to improve patient outcomes, reduce readmission rates and ensure continuity of care for patients who have been discharged from hospital following a COPD exacerbation.

MeSH terms: Hospitals; Humans; Patient Discharge*; Patient Readmission; Quality of Life
Correction to: Process evaluation of a kindergarten-based intervention for obesity prevention in early childhood: the Toybox study Malaysia

Cheah WL, Poh BK, Ruzita AT, Lee JAC, Koh D, Reeves S, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2023 Aug 03;23(1):1480.
PMID: 37537551 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16400-5
First Report of Pectobacterium carotovorum and Pectobacterium aroidearum Causing Bacterial Soft Rot on Curly Dwarf Pak Choy (Brassica rapa var. Chinensis) in Malaysia

Teoh SH, Wong GR, Teo WFA, Mazumdar P

Plant Dis, 2023 Aug 03.
PMID: 37537794 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-06-23-1239-PDN

Brassica rapa var. Chinensis (curly dwarf pak choy) is commonly grown in large-scale vertical farming aquaponic systems. In October 2022, soft rot symptoms and dark brown lesions were observed on B. rapa grown in a commercial aquaponic farm located in Perak, Malaysia. The infected stem appeared brown and water soaked. Severely infected plants produced creamy white ooze on the surface before collapsing entirely (Fig. 1A and B). Infected leaves displayed yellow-brown symptoms and eventually rotted (Fig. 1C); the healthy plants were symptomless (Fig. 1D). About 20 % of the 20,000 B. rapa plants on the farm exhibited symptoms. Ten randomly selected symptomatic plants, five with infected stems and five with infected leaves, were surface sterilized. Each tissue (1.0 cm2) was homogenized and suspended in a saline solution. The suspensions were then serially diluted and plated separately on Luria-Bertani agar. After a 16-h incubation period, stem tissue yielded 12 isolated colonies, while leaf tissue produced 8 colonies. These isolates were subjected to dereplication using RAPD-PCR (Krzewinski et al., 2001), revealing two distinct RAPD patterns. The cultures, named Pathogen Stem 2 (PS2, obtained from the stem) and Pathogen Leaf 2 (PL2, obtained from the leaf), were initially identified as Pectobacterium sp. through 16S rRNA sequence analysis (Frank et al., 2008) on the EzBioCloud 16S database (Yoon et al., 2017). Further identification of the Pectobacterium species was conducted using multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of the icdA, mdh, proA, and mltD genes (Ma et al., 2007). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (OQ660180, OQ660181, and OR206482-OR206489). Based on MLSA phylogeny, PS2 and PL2 were identified as Pectobacterium carotovorum and Pectobacterium aroidearum, respectively (Fig. 2A). Anaerobic assays confirmed their facultative anaerobic nature, while Gram staining revealed Gram-negative, rod-shaped morphology consistent with Pectobacterium (Fig. 2B and C). For the re-inoculation study, one-month-old healthy B. rapa plants were used. PS2 was inoculated into petioles, while PL2 was inoculated into leaves separately (3 biological replicates × 3 leaves for each replicate) using the prick inoculation method (Wei et al., 2019). Sterile needles were used to prick the plant tissues, and 10 µL of bacterial suspensions (2.40×109 CFU/mL) in saline were inoculated onto the pricked spots. Negative control using sterile saline was included. The inoculated plants were maintained in a controlled growth chamber (25 ± 1°C, relative humidity 80 ± 5%). After 48 hpi, the petiole tissue inoculated with PS2 showed bacterial soft rot symptoms (Fig. 1F) and leaves inoculated with PL2 appeared dark brown around the wound (Fig. 1G), similar to the symptoms observed in the commercial farm (Fig. 1B, C); while control plants remained asymptomatic (Fig. 1E). Bacteria were re-isolated from the inoculated petiole and leaf tissue and their identities were confirmed by RAPD-PCR. The RAPD profiles of the bacteria reisolated from the petiole and leaf tissues were the same as those of PS2 and PL2 respectively (Fig. 1H). The pathogenicity of PS2 and PL2 was thus confirmed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial soft rot on B. rapa in aquaponic systems caused by P. carotovorum and P. aroidearum in Malaysia. The identification of these pathogens is crucial for the prevention of disease outbreaks and to develop an effective disease management strategy.
Editorial: Soil biota and climate smart crops

Cheng A, Gajic G, Doni F

Front Plant Sci, 2023;14:1250831.
PMID: 37538065 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1250831
Fulltext Impact of outcome adjudication in kidney disease trials: observations from the Study of Heart and Renal Protection (SHARP)

Herrington WG, Harper C, Staplin N, Haynes R, Emberson J, Reith C, et al.

Kidney Int Rep, 2023 Aug;8(8):1489-1495.
PMID: 37538810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2023.05.008

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess opportunities for trial streamlining and the scientific impact of adjudication on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in CKD.
METHODS: We analysed the effects of adjudication of ~2100 maintenance kidney replacement therapy (KRT) and ~1300 major atherosclerotic events (MAEs) recorded in SHARP. We first compared outcome classification before versus after adjudication, and then re-ran randomised comparisons using pre-adjudicated follow-up data.
RESULTS: For maintenance KRT, adjudication had little impact with only 1% of events being refuted (28/2115). Consequently, randomised comparisons using pre-adjudication reports found almost identical results (pre-adjudication: simvastatin/ezetimibe 1038 vs placebo 1077; risk ratio [RR] 0.95, 95%CI 0.88-1.04; post-adjudicated: 1057 vs 1084; RR=0.97, 95%CI 0.89-1.05). For MAEs, about one-quarter of patient reports were refuted (324/1275 [25%]), and reviewing 3538 other potential vascular events and death reports identified only 194 additional MAEs. Nevertheless, randomised analyses using SHARP's pre-adjudicated data alone found similar results to analyses based on adjudicated outcomes (pre-adjudication: 573 vs 702; RR=0.80, 95%CI 0.72-0.89; adjudicated: 526 vs 619; RR=0.83, 95%CI 0.74- 0.94), and also suggested refuted MAEs were likely to represent atherosclerotic disease (RR for refuted MAEs=0.80, 95%CI 0.65-1.00).
CONCLUSIONS: These analyses provide three key insights. First, they provide a rationale for nephrology trials not to adjudicate maintenance KRT. Secondly, when an event that mimics an atherosclerotic outcome is not expected to be influenced by the treatment under study (e.g. heart failure), the aim of adjudicating atherosclerotic outcomes should be to remove such events. Lastly, restrictive definitions for the remaining suspected atherosclerotic outcomes may reduce statistical power.
An experimental workflow to assess the applicability of microemulsions for conformance improvement in oil-bearing reservoir

Pal N, Alzahid Y, AlSofi AM, Ali M, Yekeen N, Hoteit H

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17667.
PMID: 37539136 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17667

A comprehensive workflow approach is necessary to link multiple experimental tasks and identify microemulsion (ME) formulations with 'optimal' stability, displacement behavior and technical feasibility in the petroleum industry. In this paper, a systematic approach is described with the aid of a case study which involves the formulation of an anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate-based microemulsion. The design of such ME systems requires a proper methodology, substantial laboratory work, and functional assessment from research/industrial viewpoints. The surfactant has been screened in terms of its micellization potential, followed by phase behavior analysis and Winsor classification of prepared microemulsions. The desired composition(s) are characterized via several tools to determine droplet size, morphology, oil/water solubilization potentials and salinity scan results. The suitability of the microemulsion system for conformance improvement technology (CIT) is proposed to be assessed via physicochemical evaluation studies encompassing two attributes: rheology and stability. For a favorable 'conforming' drive, the microemulsion must exhibit phase stability, sufficient injectivity, and moderate-to-high viscosity under shear. Technical assessment by the industry and research team must also include factors related to cost, availability of chemicals, environmental degradation, and reservoir considerations. The article demonstrates a comprehensive all-inclusive workflow methodology to design and formulate surfactant-stabilized microemulsions via case study analysis for application in CIT. This represents a sound approach to identifying efficient, cost-effective injection fluid systems and provides a framework to identify useful parameters for ME formulation design and employ the proposed (effective) strategy for conformance control.
Exploring the properties of Dy2O3-Y2O3 Co-activated telluro-borate glass: Structural, physical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties

Thabit HA, Ismail AK, Mhareb MHA, Abdulmalik DA, I A, Al-Fakih AM, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e18309.
PMID: 37539187 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18309

The successful application of glass-based materials in a wide range of scientific fields depends on the associated physical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. This article investigate the structural, Physical, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties of Dy2O3, Y2O3 co-activated telluro-borate glass developed using the melt-quenching method. The glassy quality and the elements component of the specimens were observed using XRD and EDX analyses. The addition of Y2O3 rise the glass density from 2.956 to 3.303 g/cm3 the refractive index from 2.5 to 2.7. These changes are due to the increase in polarizability and non-bridging oxygen (NBO). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra revealed a broad peak at 550 nm and additional weak emission peaks at 573 and 664 nm, respectively. While the observed broader peak can be linked to the convolution of Bi3+ ions transitions corresponding to the non-centrosymmetric site respectively, the weak emission bands are due to 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 and 4F9/2 → 6H11/2 Dy3+ transitions. Hence, the low symmetrical features of both Bi3+ and Dy3+ ions were confirmed. The increase in the Vickers hardness of the glass from 536.7 to 1366.9 indicates the influence of Y2O3 addition on the mechanical properties of the glasses. The findings help to improve our understanding of the behaviour of the glass composition and its prospective applications in disciplines such as photonic, and laser optics.
Leadership and crisis management and their link to improvement of hotel performance: A study of the Jordanian hotel sector

Jaaffar AH, Alzoubi RH, Mohammad Alkharabsheh OH, Rajadurai J

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17839.
PMID: 37539207 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17839

The current environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity has created a prolonged state of uncertainty for the Jordanian hotel industry. Crisis management leadership is one of the most important attributes for a hotel. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of crisis management, the moderating role of a leader's experience, their relationship to styles of leadership (transformational and transactional) and the resultant performance of Jordanian hotels. Research was based on a self-distributed questionnaire survey of 119 respondents currently holding managerial positions in Jordanian 3 to 5 star hotels. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling was then employed. The findings suggest a transformational leadership style and crisis management experience are the most important attributes for a leader to sustain hotel performance during a crisis. Leaders with a transactional leadership style need crisis management skills to sustain hotel performance rather than experience which is not as important in their case. This paper proves that different leadership styles have a different influence on a hotel's survivability during a crisis. Therefore, a hotel's management group must ensure that a leader with an appropriate leadership style takes control during these situations. By combining leadership attributes, experience, and crisis management in a comprehensive framework to ensure sustainable hotel performance in the face of a crisis, this study adds to the body of knowledge on leadership and crisis management practices.
Corrigendum to "Multiband rabi antenna using nest microstrip add-drop filter (NMADF) for relativistic sensing applications" [Heliyon 9(2) (February 2023) e13611]

Sonasang S, Jamsai M, Jalil MA, Pham NT, Ray K, Angkawisittpan N, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e16846.
PMID: 37539238 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16846

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13611.].
Experience attributes and service quality dimensions of peer-to-peer accommodation in Malaysia

Wong TS, Chan JKL

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e18403.
PMID: 37539243 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18403

This paper reports the empirical findings of experience attributes and service quality dimensions of peer-to-peer accommodation (P2P) in Malaysia. Data collection was conducted using in-depth interviews, which involved 10 P2P accommodation hosts and 15 P2P accommodation guests. Thematic analysis of the data guided by the concepts of service experience and service quality, revealed that P2P accommodation has four experience dimensions (property/accommodation, hosts, local people/culture, and location) and seven service quality dimensions (home facilities, personal advice, helpfulness, feeling welcome, responsiveness, reliability, and caring). These dimensions differentiate P2P accommodation from other types of accommodation, such as hotels, and are different from those of the SERVQUAL model. Subsequently, a new model, P2PSERVQUAL, is proposed for peer-to-peer accommodation. The findings add to the tourism and hospitality literature on experience attributes and service quality, with implications for the marketing and management of P2P accommodation.
Land characteristics and land suitability assessment for Styrax sp. in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Rahmawaty, Ismail MH, Rauf A, Batubara R, Elena Sitorus EW, Simamora Z, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e16936.
PMID: 37539247 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16936

Styrax sp. is a valuable latex-producing plant in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, which requires sustainable land use practices to maintain its production and ecological value. This study aimed to assess the land characteristics and suitability of Styrax sp. in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra Province, to support the development of sustainable land use practices for the cultivation of this plant. The study employed a survey method to collect soil samples and evaluated the land suitability using a matching method and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. The results showed that Styrax sp. had moderately suitable land suitability in three villages in Humbang Hasundutan Regency. The limiting factors for land suitability were identified as rooting media, nutrient retention, water availability, and erosion hazard. These findings have important implications for the development of sustainable land use practices for Styrax sp. cultivation in the region, which can contribute to the conservation of this valuable plant species and the maintenance of ecological balance. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the land characteristics and suitability of Styrax sp. in North Sumatra Province and highlights the importance of sustainable land use practices for the conservation of valuable plant species.
A decision tree model for accurate prediction of sand erosion in elbow geometry

Alakbari FS, Mohyaldinn ME, Ayoub MA, Salih AA, Abbas AH

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17639.
PMID: 37539270 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17639

Erosion of piping components, e.g., elbows, is a hazardous phenomenon that frequently occurs due to sand flow with fluids during petroleum production. Early prediction of the sand's erosion rate (ER) is essential for ensuring a safe flow process and material integrity. Some models have been applied to determine the ER of the sand in the literature. However, these models have been created based on specific data to require a model for application to wide-range data. Moreover, the previous models have not studied relationships between independent and dependent variables. Thus, this research aims to use machine learning techniques, namely linear regression and decision tree (DT), to predict the ER robustly. The optimum model, the DT model, was evaluated using various trend analysis and statistical error analyses (SEA) techniques, namely the correlation coefficient (R). The evaluation results proved proper physical behavior for all independent variables, along with high accuracy and the DT model robustness. The proposed DT method can accurately predict the ER with R of 0.9975, 0.9911, 0.9761, and 0.9908, AAPRE of 5.0%, 6.27%, 6.26%, and 5.5%, RMSE of 2.492E-05, 6.189E-05, 9.310E-05, and 5.339E-05, and STD of 13.44, 6.66, 8.01, and 11.44 for the training, validation, testing, and whole datasets, respectively. Hence, this study delivers an effective, robust, accurate, and fast prediction tool for ER determination, significantly saving the petroleum industry's cost and time.
Corrigendum to "A comprehensive review on modelling the adsorption process for heavy metal removal from waste water using artificial neural network technique" [Heliyon 9(4) (April 2023) e15455]

Fiyadh SS, Alardhi SM, Al Omar M, Aljumaily MM, Al Saadi MA, Fayaed SS, et al.

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17675.
PMID: 37539279 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17675

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15455.].
Corrigendum to "Revaluating the dietary methionine requirements in an improved strain of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)" [Heliyon 9 (3), (March 2023) Article e14376]

Yossa R, Fatan NA, Palanivelu K

Heliyon, 2023 Jul;9(7):e17614.
PMID: 37539312 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17614

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14376.].
Isolated Abducens Nerve Palsy Following Spinal Anesthesia

Siau Tiak H, Zahari M

Cureus, 2023 Jul;15(7):e41298.
PMID: 37539413 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41298

A healthy 28-year-old lady, para 1, presented to the emergency department with persistent frontal headache, nausea, and vomiting following an emergency cesarean section four days ago. She experienced difficulties with six failed attempts of spinal anesthesia intrapartum before conversion to general anesthesia. A 25-gauge Whitacre needle was utilized for administering spinal anesthesia under a sitting position. The anesthetist noticed a loss of resistance upon needle insertion, but only a negligible amount of cerebrospinal fluid was obtained upon removing the stylet. The patient underwent an emergency cesarean section due to fetal distress, and she was not in labor during the attempts of spinal anesthesia. Otherwise, the cesarean section lasted for an hour and was uneventful. No intrapartum eclampsia or pre-eclampsia. She was diagnosed with post-dural puncture headache, and her symptoms improved after receiving intravenous hydration, oral caffeine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). However, on the sixth day after the spinal anesthesia, she suddenly developed double vision. Examination showed bilateral visual acuity was measured at 6/7.5. No proptosis or ptosis was noted. The relative afferent pupillary defect was negative with no anisocoria. Both eyes were orthophoria with normal head posture. Extraocular muscles revealed a right abduction restriction of -1 with the patient complaining of binocular horizontal diplopia at the right gaze, consistent with right abducens nerve palsy. Systemic neurological findings were normal, and imaging results were unremarkable. Diagnosis of right abducens nerve palsy post-dural puncture was made clinically. The patient was keen on conservative management instead of blood patch therapy. Hence, she was treated supportively via uni-ocular patching to relieve diplopia. Spontaneous complete recovery of the right abducens nerve palsy was observed after three weeks. Cranial nerve palsy is a rare complication reported following spinal anesthesia, with the abducens nerve being the commonest nerve involved. Although it is not always benign, the presented case showed spontaneous complete recovery of the right abducens nerve palsy after three weeks. Awareness of this uncommon complication will avoid unnecessary distress and investigative burden to both the patient and the doctor.

External Links